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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Need Help Finding a Replacement Eraser

Artists and Toolhounds - I need your help!


I've had this eraser for about five years. In those five years, I have used it on just about every one of the eight hundred or so pages of comics that I've done, plus most sketches where I've used a pencil. But lately I've been erasing much more than usual - I'm erasing the underdrawing of my pencils, and it's starting to take its toll. I took this photo a month or two ago, and as you can see, there was still a substantial chunk left, about one inch by one inch, and a little shy of a quarter inch thick. It's very solid and slick, with almost no porousness. My wife bought it for me in a Barnes and Noble stationary section because I liked the inkwell design that had been printed on it. Unlike most erasers that I've tried, this one doesn't leave crumblies; instead it leaves the little ropes of rubber seen in the picture. It erases great and is easy to clean up, and obviously has great longevity. I've scoured B&Ns ever since without ever seeing the set again, and have sampled any number of erasers at art stores trying to find something comparable, but never with any success. Nearly all of them make crumblies instead of ropes. Has anyone ever found one that seems like it might be a suitable alternative? At the rate I'm erasing now it probably only has a couple of months left in it at best, and want to be ready with its successor on hand when it finally serves away to nothing.

6 comments:

Chris Ruggia said...

Hi Chris,

This eraser behaves exactly like you describe, and I never use anything else:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/staedtler-mars-plastic-eraser/

It never abrades the paper, it just slides over the surface and removes the graphite more completely than any other eraser I've ever used, and it leaves behind little ropy bits of plastic.

I also use Staedtler pencils almost exclusively. Not because they're better pencils, particularly, but because they are coated with this incredible, saturated, sort-of-cobalt blue paint that makes me unreasonably happy every time I look at them.

Anonymous said...

Have you tried "drafting erasers"? My fiancee suggested them to me that her dad uses when drawing blueprints. Mine leaves ropies instead of crumblie bits.

Also, the erasers Sakura of America work the same way;

http://www.sakuraofamerica.com/

I've only gotten one of those in those "starting art kits" that come with pens and a mechanical pencil. That's one of my favorite erasers.

Christopher Lane said...

I use a Papermate Black Magic, instead of crumblies or ropes it makes a really super fine dust that is easily blown away or in my case I use a small feather brush.. It even gets pencils out from my heavy hand.. which makes me happy since I used to have to rely on an electric eraser that ate my paper.

Anonymous said...

I'd recommend Staedtler Mars Erasers. You can find them at Office Depot (and other places, too!) in a pack of 4-- I really love them (plus they have a little collar on them so if your hands are dirty it doesn't dirty the eraser). They leave ropes and are very gentle to the paper-- don't leave any residue. I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but I've been very happy with these erasers myself. :)

Alec Longstreth said...

Chris, Matt Bernier has a great post about erasers in his comics tools blog: http://comictool.blogspot.com/2009/08/this-week-eraser-rub-off-howdy-comic.html

Anonymous said...

i have one at home that is blue and white that is like that and is from a chinese ruru collection i think. i will try to find it online and hopefully ill have luck.